Reviewed by Phil Thomson

The third release from this Eastbourne-based singer/songwriter, 'Broken' features 12 new songs in a contemporary blues style. Ah! The blues. It's a tough call to hold together an album's worth without getting that heard-it-all-before sinking feeling several tracks in. Yet Coomber's "been round the block" lived-in voice and smoothly timed interventions ease us through some very fine examples of the genre. By the time he goes a little bit country on song three with "Change My Heart" you just know he's in control. It is a masterful performance, slightly understated, yet all the more impressive for the range of self-penned songs, deceptively simple, instantly memorable. I reckon it's because the boys have taken their time with the project. It was "recorded in small doses throughout 2007" and produced by Coomber himself, with Henry Morse and Steve Moysey. So, no pressure and a great deal of integrity from a team who know how to keep the sounds fresh - catch the guitar on "I Remember When" or the pace, just ahead of the game, in the quite excellent "Love Song", a salutary reminder of our responsibility to mission. The secret seems to be entertainment. Unashamedly, this album never lets up in its commitment and brings you an experience you are guaranteed to appreciate on any number of levels. Wear the CD out if you can.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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